Fastening for hames



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY A. FOWLER, OF EAST GUILFORD, NEW YORK.

FASTENING FOR HAMES.

Specification of Letters Patent No.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY A. FowLER, of East Guilford, in the county of Ohenango and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fastenings for Hames; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operat-ion of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l represents a side View of the clasp or fastening when locked; Fig. 2, represents a view of the slide withdrawn from the case; Fig. 3 represents a view of the coil spring within the cap; Fig. 4 represents a view of the cam, and shaft, also t-he attachment of the shaft to the cap.

The nature of my improvement consists in providing the hames with a self adjusting lock, which is very easily unlocked by any person being once acquainted with it, and still it is utterly impossible for a horse to unlock it by rubbing or coming in contact with anything whatever.

Fig. 1 represents a metal case a, with a hook g, attached to one end by means of t-wo rivets; the slide b is represented to be inserted within the case at the opposite end of that to which the hook g, is attached; near the center of the case a, is the cap c secured to the shaft c, in connection with the cam f, and within which is contained t-he coil spring h.

Fig. 2: b, represents the slide made of wrought iron with a hook bent on one end corresponding with the hook g, and a slit punched into the other end for the reception of the cam, as represented.

Fig. 3: c represents the cap cut out of sheetmetal, and bent in the form required; 7L represents the coil spring within the cap c; one end of this coil spring is secured to the shaft e and the opposite end is secured to the pin z' which projects through the case 16,475, dated January 27, 1857.

a and also through an opening in the cap c as represented at d in Fig. 1.

Fig. t: c represents the shaft made of iron or brass, near one end of which is formed an oblong cam f; the opposite end of this shaft projects through the cap c, and is secured to the cap by means of riveting or otherwise.

At f, f, f, in Fig. 2 isrepresented the cam in three different positions; the peculiar form of the slit punched in the end of the slide b is such, that by. inserting the slide within the case a it will only press against one end of the cam f, and thus cause the cam to turn in a horizontal position as represented at j in Fig. 2 and as soon as the slide b is pressed within the case far enough to admit the cam into the larger opening, the coil spring instantly turns the cam back again into a perpendicular position as represented at 7c in Fig. 2, this causing the fastening to be firmly locked. y

In order to unlock the fastening it is necessary to press the slide b into the case as far as possible when the cap will be seen to turn one quarter around, while in this position place the thumb of the left hand upon the cap, and linger directly opposite on the back side of the case and against the cap so as to hold it in that posit-ion, and the slide can be very easily withdrawn.

I disclaim the metal case and slide, also the manner of attaching the fastener to the loops in the hames but Vhat I claim as my improvement, and wish to secure by Let-ters Patent is- The cam f, so arranged, and operated with the shaft e, and cap c, (by means of a coil spring) that the cap c, will always adjust itself essentially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

HENRY A. FOWLER.

Witnesses:

JAMES PRESTON, HENRY ALEBARK. 

